November 2017 news and reviews

A newly leaked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo claims the company may be spying on the US on behalf of the Chinese government. For its part, DJI claims the allegations are 'profoundly wrong.'

Meet Isolite, an intriguing set of 'intelligent' lighting modifiers that claim to let you adjust the lighting in your image after you've taken it. Well, assuming they raise enough money on Kickstarter...

Leica has released yet another lens this week. This time, it's a special 'LHSA' edition of the APO-Summicron-M 50mm F2 ASPH that merges the styling of the 1954 Summicron 50mm F2 with the optics of the modern lens released in 2012.

The new online 'Hasselblad Store' is officially live for residents of the USA, China, UK, Germany and France, allowing customers around the world to skip the third-party vendors and buy their next medium format camera straight from the manufacturer.

Those shooting portraits and weddings need a camera with a decent autofocus system that won't give up in low light, good image quality at medium/high ISO and great colors straight out of the camera. Read on to see which cameras are best suited to those tasks.

Snapbridge Version 2.0 has been redesigned with a 'more intuitive' and 'easier to use' interface, as well as a few nifty new feature like support for multiple cameras and the full manual control of select Nikon DSLRs.

First teased back at Photokina, Fujifilm has released its X Raw Studio software, which uses the processor inside select X and GFX series cameras to convert Raws on your Mac or PC. In addition, firmware updates for the GFX 50S, X-T2 and X-T20 are now available.

The new HDMI 2.1 specification and Ultra High Speed Cable standard have been released, and they can handle some crazy data rates. We're talking 10K video, uncompressed 8K HDR, and 4K at 120fps kind of crazy.

Lytro just released a new version of their insane Immerge light-field camera system for professional VR productions. The Immerge 2.0 features higher quality, a wider field of view, and much more... not that any of us mere mortals will ever touch one.

First teased back in September, Pixelmator Pro has officially arrived. The powerful non-destructive photo editor was built from the ground up for the Apple ecosystem, offering Mac users a tempting alternative to Adobe's offerings.

Even though (or perhaps because) 2017 has seen the release of some of the most impressive cameras he's ever used, Richard has ducked the difficult decisions and made an unexpected choice for his Gear of the Year. But, as always, he's going to argue his point.

If you want a compact camera that produces great quality photos without the hassle of changing lenses, there are plenty of choices available for every budget. Read on to find out which portable enthusiast compacts are our favorites.

Despite mockery from much of the photo community, the Yashica Y35 digiFilm camera managed to raise a staggering $1.28 million USD in funding online—money that helped earn backers a spec bump in the camera's image sensor and lens.

This has to be one of the strangest image theft stories we've seen. It seems Netflix stole tech enthusiast Gough Lui's photos of a VHS tape and used them to create the design of the Stranger Things box set.

Pop star Bruno Mars is being sued for posting a photo of himself as a kid on Instagram. The photographer who captured the portrait in 1989 says neither Mars nor his record label asked for permission before sharing the photograph through all of Mars' social media channels.

The second Android 8.1 Developer Preview finally activates Google's Visual Core chipset that boosts HDR+ image processing and opens it up to third-party apps. Photography with the Pixel 2 is about to get even better.

Whether you're piling the family in the minivan for a trip to the Magic Kingdom or backpacking through Southeast Asia, you're going to want to capture the experience in photographs. And we've got you covered.

Moment just unveiled a pair of counterweights that let you use the company's add-on smartphone lenses while also using the DJI Osmo Mobile gimbal stabilizer, making it the first smartphone gimbal to supports add-on lenses.

The UK has just revealed a new set of proposed drone regulations that it hopes to enact this spring. Simply called the Drone Bill, it would allow police to ground and seize drones, and may further tighten drone restrictions around airports.

Editorial photographer Jake Hicks recently turned a couple of ultra-cheap household lights from IKEA into beautiful lighting modifiers. Read the full article to find out how he did it, why it worked, and what he'll do differently next time.

Security researcher Kevin Finisterre found a major security vulnerability in drone maker DJI's servers that gave him access to private user information. But when he reported it to DJI, he claims things got ugly fast.

Drew Geraci is a master of time-lapse photography. Prior to its official launch last month he spent some time with the new Sony a7R III in New Zealand, to see what the new camera could do. Click through to watch the video and read more about his technique.

In the first part of Barney's Gear of the Year article, he wrote about the camera he's used most in 2017 – the Leica M10. In Part 2, he's writing about a camera that he's barely even touched. Read on to find out why the D850 made his list for best gear of 2017 regardless.

TIME Magazine has named the Sony a7R III one of its top 10 gadgets of 2017. It was the only camera that made the illustrious list this year, receiving high praise from TIME, who dubbed it "one of the best mirrorless cameras ever made."

It's been twenty years since Jeff Keller founded the Digital Camera Resource Page, one of the first websites dedicated to digital photography. Jeff, who has been at DPReview for nearly five years, looks back at the rise and fall of consumer digital cameras and his website.

Designer Vinicius Araújo has imagined what he believes the perfect Adobe software keyboard might look like. From customizable touch pads, to a scroll wheel, to a little display that shows the tool in use, his design is pretty compelling.

A portrait of an android woman has beaten over 5,700 pictures of humans to take third place in this year’s prestigious Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize. The judges were not told the subject was an 'android' until after the winning images were chosen.

Sony's a7R Mark III shoots 42.4MP files at 10fps and incorporates a robust video feature set, large battery, refined ergonomics and more. It certainly looks impressive, but what is it like to use, and how does it stack up against the rest of the market? Find out in our full review.

There's never been a better time to shop for a new camera, but the number of options available can be overwhelming. In this series of buying guides we've provided customized recommendations for several use cases, from shooting landscapes to buying a first camera for a student photographer.

Looking for a lightweight compact camera that's easy to bring with you anywhere? Or maybe you're smartphone-shopping and want the one that takes the best picture. And what if you want to shoot from above? In these buyers guides we have recommendations for the best compact cameras, smartphones and drones.

Leica has just released the CL, the forth in its series of APS-C L-mount cameras. Despite sharing a name with a camera released in the mid-70s, the new CL is a thoroughly modern ILC, with a 24MP sensor and built-in electronic viewfinder.

While it shares a name with one of Leica's most popular and affordable cameras of the 1970s, the new CL is separated from its namesake by more than just years. We've been using one for a few days - click through for a detailed first-impressions report.

Read the story behind this gorgeous wedding photo captured at Trolltunga in Norway by husband and wife duo Priscila Valentina Photography. The 14 hour hike in the rain that preceded this shot was TOTALLY worth it.

Go behind the scenes with filmmaker Nick Arcivos, who recently created a beautiful cinematic short film in Paris using only the iPhone X, a couple of gimbals, and a few lights. The results are very impressive.

By combining his skills as a time-lapse filmmaker and an engineer, Julian Tryba created this out-of-this-world creative 'layer-lapse' of New York City that alternates between night and day in time with the music.

While a couple of our reviewers are out testing the Sony a7R III in Arizona, back in Seattle we slapped the camera in front of our studio scene to get a close look at its image quality. See how it stacks up against the competition.

B+W has announced a new aluminum filter holder that offers three slots so users can use multiple filters at the same time. The holder goes with the 2mm thick 100mm square filters it launched earlier this year.

8K video is coming a lot faster than you think, and Blackmagic is ready for it. Meet the DeckLink 8K Pro, a new high performance PCI-E capture and playback card built to handle 'real time high resolution 8K workflows.'

"Glass is everywhere in photography. From Eugène Atget’s reflective vitrines to Lee Friedlander’s sly self-portraiture, photographers have long been in thrall to the visual complications glass can inject into a composition."

Despite the gigantic volume of second hand film bodies in existence, it seems there is still a demand for new 35mm SLRs with a retro feel. The latest is a remake of the Ihagee Elbaflex from the 1960s, but with a Nikon F mount.

You’d have to be pretty brave to immerse your $50K RED cinema camera underwater. But if you've got the guts, Gates just released a new housing you can be pretty sure won't wreck your unbelievably expensive toy.

After releasing a popular 4K action cam and an affordable mirrorless M43 camera, Chinese camera maker YI is diving into yet another market: 360° VR. Meet the YI 360 VR: a powerful little two-lens camera that can shoot and stream in 4K.

The DJI Spark has received a lot of attention thanks to its diminutive size, but how does it stack up? In our review, we take a look at what it's like to fly this pint-sized drone, as well as what's in it for photographers.

DxOMark has awarded the Pentax 645Z 101 points, making it the second-highest scoring medium format camera it's tested (or the highest scoring from 2015 to now, based on the originally published results).

A small explosion that sounded like a gunshot caused a panic and 24 flight cancellations at Orlando International Airport last Friday. As it turns out, it was a camera battery that exploded inside a traveler's bag.

NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station will get some new camera gear to play with this week. The first ten Nikon D5 DSLRs to go to space launched yesterday, and are due to arrive at the ISS on Tuesday.

The Sony a7R III improves upon the high-performance, high-resolving 42.4 MP sensor in the a7R II. Improved dynamic range and a new Pixel Shift mode promises noise-free, sharp shots. But how well does Pixel Shift perform in the real world and in our studio? Color us impressed.

Panasonic's new flagship G9 comes with a new high-resolution mode that blends eight exposures into an 80MP image. It's supposedly not meant for use with any moving subjects, but we thought we'd see if we could make it work.

As 2017 winds down (yeah, we're shocked too) it's a great time to reflect on the past year. Over the coming week's we'll revisit some personal favorite cameras and lenses that we encountered this year, and what made them stand out.

Google has released a Saturated mode to 'fix' the dull colors issue on the Pixel 2 XL smartphone. Find out why we think this was a step in the wrong direction, but likely only an intermediate solution before a more proper fix.

Even though we've had only a few days with the G9, we've already seen some improvements to the JPEG engine, and been able to play around with new features like high-res mode. Here are our first impressions of the camera.

The Lumix G9 is Panasonic's most serious stills-focused camera to date. We're eager to fully test the camera's revamped JPEG engine, but in the meantime we've been able to get it out and about for some initial sample shooting. Take a look at what it can do.

What happens when a company known for its video-centric hybrid cameras turns its attention to professional stills shooters? The Panasonic G9. Check out our overview video to catch up on everything that's new.

Panasonic has announced its Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 Power OIS tele-prime. This hefty, weather-sealed lens has 15 elements, 2 of which are 'ultra extra-low dispersion,' along with a triple linear motor system and support for Panasonic's Dual I.S. system. A 1.4x teleconverter is bundled for even more range.

Olympus has launched a little augmented reality system, complete with camera, that you attache to a pair of glasses. For now, it's only for industrial use, but the potential for consumer applications is definitely there.

Meet the Reflex I. The first 35mm film SLR to be designed in over 25 years, this neat ode to the past includes several futuristic features, like the ability to swap out different film backs and lens mounts.

Phase One just launched a brand ambassador program for its photo processing software Capture One, bringing in 13 photographers and retouchers who can "share their talent and skills to inspire the photographic community."

"I was highly skeptical of this laptop before buying it because on paper, it looked dumb [...] I have to say that it did beat my expectations and I don’t regret my purchase. It actually keeps up with me and I work like a maniac!"

Peak Design has redesigned three of their most popular products—the Capture clip and the Slide and Slide Lite camera straps—and they're funding them in a special 5-day 'Greatest Hits' Kickstarter campaign.

The Canon EOS M100 is a likeable little camera that comes with Canon's latest APS-C image quality in an entry-level offering. But is that enough to make it stand out to beginning photographers in a crowded market? Find out in our full review.

GoPro announced Q3 revenues this week, and for the first time in a very long time, the company is profitable! Between restructuring efforts and Hero6 sales, it seems the company is turning itself around.

The brand new Apple iPhone X got a complete teardown from iFixit.com, ranking it on par with the iPhone 8 Plus and Google Pixel 2 XL in terms of 'repairability' and giving us a closer look at the dual camera modules on the front and back.

Believe it or not, sports and live music photography have a lot in common – your reaction time as a photographer is crucial. Veteran music photographer Jeanette D. Moses gave the Sony a9 a try at a pro golf tournament recently – and was very impressed with the results.

Chinese camera manufacturer YI just released a firmware update for its mirrorless YI-M1 that promises to boost the camera's performance in a significant way. Time to give this ultra-affordable ILC another shot?

In what has been called a 'retaliatory strike,' CBS is suing photographer Jon Tannen for sharing screenshots of a 59-year-old TV show on social media, seeking $150,000 in damages for willful infringement.

The Canon 85mm F1.4L updates the company's series of 85mm primes with a useful new feature: image stabilization. We've been testing it out on portrait subjects, foliage, and most importantly, dog Halloween costumes.